From Daphne Minihane, chairman,
Age Concern Jersey.
DEPUTY Southern’s comments that ‘the Island’s most vulnerable residents are being attacked by their own government’ (JEP, 4 Jun) help no one. They just cause anger and disbelief.
It is scaremongering. We are all aware that successive governments have spent our money as if there is no tomorrow and we are now reaping the consequences. No point in crying over spilt milk – let us do something about it.
Some of the current proposals up for discussion are that up to 67 jobs will be axed and charges could be made for some previously free services.
Free school milk could be scrapped, the number of police officers could be reduced (and this at a time when there is more crime than ever on the streets), diabetics could be forced to pay for some treatment, physiotherapy services could be reduced and there is a likelihood that the hydrotherapy pool at the General Hospital will be closed and the summer lifeguard post at Havre des Pas removed. These are to name but a few.
It does not make good reading, but what can we do about it? Prioritise! The first thing is to delay the building of the Town Park. By no stretch of the imagination can it be said that a town park is more important than providing vital services and long-term care for the elderly.
It is ridiculous to ring-fence £13m plus to be spent on a park in this time of recession.
Yes, the building of the park has been held up for a number of years, but in the present economic climate would it matter if it were held up for a few more years?
The alternative put forward was that some building be allowed on the site to cover the cost and to provide work for our unemployed – a double gain – but the town Constable and his Deputies are acting like spoilt children, insisting that no further building will be allowed in St Helier unless they get their own way.
They would earn a lot more respect if they would consider the whole Island and its people by withdrawing this intransigent position. We are in uncharted waters and we all need to pull together.
Other cost cutting ideas would be to reduce the number of States Members – do we need 53 to run an Island of this size? – and to recruit senior civil servants locally.
The UK does not always know best. Being local they will already have residential qualifications and will not expect the exorbitant salaries being paid at the moment which, in some cases, exceed that of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Jersey has a population of 92,000 – the UK has many millions. The salaries are ridiculously out of proportion.
It is a well known fact that there are too many chiefs and not enough Indians in the public sector costing the Island a lot of money. To make real efficiency savings and to make a real difference, urgent consideration must be given to reducing the payroll by cutting non-essential posts. This is happening in the private sector so why should the public sector be different?
